90th Birthday Part 5

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The dear old school at last! Looking just the same, it had not changed a bit from the day, 50 yrs ago, when I joined.

Rushing up the street towards me, clutching a bunch of flowers, was Rita - my best friend, she joined school on the same day I did, and we had not seen each other since leaving school

Below: left, Miss Drake's classroom, where we learned "look and say"; right, the playground where we played "film stars"

The big hall - those windows used to seem so high up! We sat on the pipes at break time in winter, in an effort to keep warm, and drank milk that was so frozen the top protruded several inches above the bottle. And that's still the same entrance door. Inside was the cloakroom, we each had a peg with a picture above it, when we could not read.

We were once again welcomed very warmly, the headmaster apologising that he had not time to talk to us - because we were late and assembly was imminent. We just had time to be photographed by the press and have a quick look at the school records that had been got out for us . . . . .

1: Valerie Mary Shaw registered at school 1941. 2: Rita Annette Alderson enrolled at school 1941. 3: Valerie Shaw sent home with German Measles. 4: Mr Medley's funeral service 1952.

and then we were invited into the Assembly. This was a much bigger school than Windhill, being an infant and junior school combined. There were about 400 pupils. As at Windhill, we were impressed with the standards and quality of the school, the caring attitude of the staff and the good behaviour of the pupils. Afterwards, the head gave us a tour of the school, there is a whole new building to the rear of the old school, and this is now the main building, being modern and bright and well-equipped. The facilities for the five year olds were particularly endearing, as they had been in the other school.

Now it was time to leave school and drive to our old home, 46 Cornmill Lane.